Feed mechanism for sewing machines and the like



Feb. 1940'. G. SAUER 2,189,65 6

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21, 1935 7 sne'ets-sheeti HGL I WITNESSES: w I INVENTOR:

Qaorga Samar; 1

WWW W Feb. 6, 1940. G. SAUER 2,189,656

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE I Filed Dec. 21, 19:55 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FjGLll 55 546 J9 45 WITNESSES: I NV EN TOR G. SAUER Feb. 6, 1940.

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 21, 1935 I N V EN TOR gwf'ge ,Sauai; By W Y Q TORNEYS.

.Feb. 6, 1940. G SA ER I 2,189,656

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG; ZIZZ WI NESSES.- INVENTOR:

v TTORNEYS.

Feb. 6, 1940. G. SAUER 2,189,656

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE I Filed Dec. 21, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fla. m 4 F162 1711 WITNESSES: I N VENTOR:

2W1 7% v w G. SAUER Feb. 6, 1940.

FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 21, 1935 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 z w ma 5 m m N T V. B

Feb. 6, 1940. SAUER FEED MECHANISM FOR smwme MACHINES AND THE LIKE 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 21, 1935 INVENTOR:

' 630F913 Saws]; fmw/ gTNESSES: M /W Patented Feb. 6, 1940 UNITED STATES FEED MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES AND THE LIKE George Sauer, Berwyn, Ill., assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation .0! Illinois Application December 21, 1935, Serial No. 55,502

6 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machines, and especially to the feeding of the work past the stitching mechanism. The invention is concerned with feeding of the work effected by the needle, preferably in coaction with-other feed mechanism, and is also concerned with other feed mechanism of a rotary type. Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a species or form of i0 embodiment thereof, and from the drawings. It

machine being shown in vertical mid-section, and

parts unconnected with my invention being partly broken away.

Fig. II is a view from the left of Fig. I with a cover-plate'removed to .show the mechanism in the needle-head.

Fig. III is a fragmentary sectional view of the needle head, showing the associated mechanism, parts unconnected with my invention being partly broken away.

Fig. IV is a side view, partly in vertical axial section, of fabric-feeding and stitch-forming $5 mechanisms, the latter comprising a rotary hook or loop-taker enclosing a bobbin-case (not shown).

Fig. V is a fragmentary plan view of the operating connection between an oscillatory needle- 40 bar guide and its actuating crank, with an associated part in section as indicated by the line and arrows VV in Fig. III.

Fig. VI shows a vertical axial section through an eccentric-crank mechanism for oscillating the needle-guide, and its adjusting means; Fig. VII is an "exploded perspective view of the parts of this mechanism separated to render them individually visible; Fig. VIII is a separate perspective view of one of these parts, in a different position; and Fig. IX shows a cross-section through the adjusting means; and

Fig. X is a fragmentary view illustrating the adjustment of the eccentric, taken as indicated by the line and arrows X-X in Fig. I.

Fig. In is a bottom plan view of the work support and the associated parts and mechanisms. Fig. XII is a view similar to Fig. I showing a four-motion feed inlieu of the rotary feed shown in Fig. I, certain parts being partly broken away.

Fig. XIII is a fragmentary end view, from the 5 left of Fig. IHI, illustrating the four-motion feed, certain parts being partly broken out.

Fig. XIV is a bottom plan view of the work support shown in Figs. XII, XIII, and XV, with the associated parts and mechanisms, a bottom 10 cover of a lower stitch mechanism being omitted. I Fig. XV shows a section taken as indicated by the line and arrows XV-XV in Fig. XIV, and illustrates parts of the feed drive. 15

As shown in Figs. I, II, and III the hollow frame of the sewing machine here illustrated carries a work support I0 and includes a hollow arm ll projecting from the upright standard l2 and carrying a needle head l3. With the head l3 are associated a vertically reciprocating needle bar l5 carrying the needle l8, and a spring actuated presser bar ll carrying a presser foot l8, here shown as of a beveled roller type. The presser bar 11 is mounted in the head l8 so as to be vertically movable, and is yieldingly urged downward by a helical compression. spring l9, as usual. As shown in Fig. II, the axis of the presser foot roller I8 is in line with the path of travel of the needle l6 when the needle bar i5 is vertical. 0

Beneath the work support iii are a rotary feed wheel 20, having a suitably serratedor otherwise roughened peripheral feeding surface that coacts with the presser foot l8 through an opening in the work support ill, and stitch forming 35 mechanism 2! for coacting with the needle it; see also Fig. IV. .As here shown, the stitch forming mechanism 2! includes a rotary hook or loop taker 22 revolving in a horizontal plane beneath the work support l0 about a vertical axis 23. 4 This stitch-forming mechanism 2| may be of any suitable construction, butis here shown as like that illustrated and described in the application of Norman V. Christensen and Oscar Quist, Serial No. 53,552, filed December 9, 1935, and assigned 4c to the assignee of this application.

It will be understood that the machine may be provided with any usual accessories, such as a thread tension 24, take-up 25, presser foot lifting means 26 and 21, tension relieving device 28, and

thread guides 29, appearing in whole or in part in Figs. I and II, and that these may be of any suitable or preferred construction, and may be operated by any suitable means. These and other accessories are more fully illustrated and Bil described in the aforementioned application of Norman V. Christensen and Oscar Quist.

As shown in Figs. II and III, the needle bar i5 reciprocates in a guide bracket which is pivoted on a stud 3| secured in the lower end of the head l3, and includes upper and lower .guide bearings 32 and 33 for said needle bar.

Openings in the upper and lower ends of the head |3 afford clearance for the needle bar l5 to swing or oscillate relative to the head. The needle bar i5 may be actuated from a horizontal drive shaft 35 (mounted in bearings 38, 35 in the arm H) by any suitable means, such as a crank 31 on the end of the shaft with a pitman connection 38 from its crank pin 39 to a pivot pin 40 suitably mounted on the needle bar. As here shown, the guide bracket 38 is oscillated about its pivot 3| from a horizontal shaft 4| mounted above the shaft 85 in bearings 42, 42 in the arm II, by means comprising a rocker arm or crank 44 fixed to the end of the shaft 4|. and provided with a pivot pin 45 whose flattened end 46 is slidingly engaged in a vertical slot or groove in the upper portion 32 of the bracket 38, Fig. V. The shaft 4| may preferably be driven from the shaft 35 by means adapted to impart an adjustably variable oscillation to said shaft 4|, such as hereinafter described.

In the present instance, the shaft 35 is the main drive shaft of the machine, and may be driven from any suitable source of power by any suitable means, here indicated by a grooved pulley 41 fast on the righthand end of said shaft 35, Fig. I, adjacent the hand wheel 48 also fast on said shaft. As shown, a horizontal shaft 58 mounted in bearings 5|, 5| beneath the work support I8 is also driven from the shaft 35, as by means of helical gears 52, 53 of equal diameters on the shafts 35 and 50 and an interposed coacting idle gear 54 mounted on a short intermediate shaft 55. From this lower horizontal shaft 50, the stitch mechanism 2| and the feed wheel 20 may be driven by any suitable means, such as hereinafter described.

The mechanism shown in Figs. I and VI-X for actuating shaft 4| from shaft 35 includes an eccentric 56 on said shaft 35 with an eccentric rod connection 51 to a crank 58 fast on the adjacent end of shaft 4|. For adjusting the amplitude of oscillation imparted to shaft 4| and through it to the needle bar guide 30, provision may be made for adjusting eccentric 56 radially or diametrally of shaft 35. For this purpose, eccentric 56 has in its lefthand side a diametral groove 6|] (Figs. VI and VII) in which are engaged guide tongues or lugs 6| (Figs. VI-VIII) on a collar 52 keyed fast to shaft 35, and has in its righthand side a broad diametral groove 83 (Figs. VII and IX) at right angles to said groove 60 in which is engaged an eccentric 54 (Figs. VI, VII, and IX) provided with a split clamp collar 65 adapted to be clamped in frictional engagement with the shaft 35 by a screw 65. The collar 65 should be clamped on the shaft 35 tightly enough to turn with the latter and resist all stresses of ordinary operation of the machine, yet with freedom to slip for purposes of adjustment as hereinafter described.

For holding collar 85 and eccentric 54 against rotation when radial adjustment of eccentric 56 is to be effected, said collar 65 is provided with anti-turning engagement means, here shown (Figs. VII and X) as formed by a notch 61 in its periphery, for coacting with manually operable stop means. This stop means consists of a plunger 88 mounted for vertical movement in a guide sleeve 68 on the upper wall of the arm ii, Figs. I and X, and provided with a rounded actuating head 10. Normally, the stop 88 is held elevated out of the path of the collar 65 by a helical compression spring 1| interposed between the head 73 and the top wall of the arm i|. When the eccentric 56 is to be adjusted, however, the stop 68 is pressed down and the shaft 35 is turned by means of hand wheel 48 until said stop engages in the notch 51, whereupon further rotation of the hand wheel will turn the eccentric 64 about the shaft 35 and shift the eccentric 56 diametrally one way or the other, to increase or decrease its eccentricity with reference to the shaft. As shown in Fig. I, the hand wheel 48 is provided with a flange 13 hearing index marks for coacting with a suitable mark 14 on the adjacent portion of the frame standard l2 to indicate the lengths of stitch corresponding to various adjustments of the eccentric 55.

As shown'in Figs. I and XI, the horizontal drive shaft 15 of the stitch mechanism 2| is (approximately) in line with the lower shaft 50 and is driven therefrom by a flexible or universal coupling 16 which takes care of slight misalignment and permits slight adjustments. 0n the shaft 58 adjacent the coupling 18 is an eccentric-crank whence the feed wheel 20 may be driven by suitable means, such as hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. I, II, IV. and XI, it will be seen that the feed wheel 20 is mounted on one end of a short shaft which is journaled in a bracket 82 which can be adjusted up and down to assure proper coaction of the feed wheel with the presser foot l8. For this purpose, one end of the bracket 82 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 83 which is itself fixedly mounted in lugs 84 depending from the work support l0, set collars 85,

85 being secured on shaft 83 to control the position of bracket 82 lengthwise of the shaft. The other end or arm 88 of bracket 82 is forked to engage around a thumb screw 81 adjustable up and down in a suitably threaded lug or boss 88 on work support II]. A helical compression spring 89 is interposed between lug 88 andarm 88. As shown in Fig. II, a ratchet action is provided between arm 86 and the head of thumb screw 81, by means of notches in the upper surface of said thumb screw adapted to receive a rounded projection 9| on the lower side of arm 88. On bracket 82 may be mounted any suitable means 82 for converting reciprocatory or oscillatory motion into intermittent, step-by-step, uni-directional rotation of shaft 80, such as the clutch mechanism disclosed in U. S. patent to W. B. Long et al., No. 1,692,130, November 20, 1928. As shown in Figs. II and XI, the oscillatory actuating arm 93 of the clutch mechanism 92 is con nected by a link 94 tov an oscillating rocker arm 95 fast to one end of a shaft 86 journaled in bearing lugs 91 depending from the work support Ill. Shaft 95 may be rocked or oscillated from eccentric 71 through suitable connections, such as an eccentric rod 98 connected to a crank 99 fast on the corresponding end of shaft 86. The amplitude of movement thus imparted to clutch arm 93 and feed wheel 28 may be adjusted and varied by any suitable means, as by a slot and screw clamp connection between link 84 and its pivot Hill on rocker 95.

The oscillation of needle bar guide 30 as above described causes a corresponding to and fro motion of needle IS in the direction of feed. With suitable adjustment or setting of the various eccentrics and cranks. as shown. there is'a movement of needle II in the direction of feed while engaged in the work, and a coincident and suitably corresponding feeding movement of the rotary feed wheel 28. The contrary movement of the needle I8 takes place while it is out of the a work. The amplitude of this work-feeding'movement of the needle I8 and the resulting work feed and stitch length can be adjusted by adjustment of the eccentric 58 as above described: and the work-feeding movement of the feed wheel 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the pivot I in the oscillatory "arm 88 as described. By these adjustments, the vibratory or oscillatory movement of the needle I8 may be made to correspond accurately with that of the-feed wheel 20, or may be made greater or less inany desired proportion, if preferred for any reason. As shown in Figs. II and III, thedriving connection 45, 48 acts on the guide 30 further from the fulcrum pivot 3I than the latter is from the work at I0,

in such relation to said pivot that the parts 45,

46 always have a greater movement than the resulting work feed and stitch length. This gives great fineness or delicacy of stitch adjustment by adjusting the amplitude of oscillation of the guide 30, and also reduces the effects of wear or looseness in the driving connections.

As shown in Figs. II and III, the presser foot It comprises a bracket structure IOI attached to the lower end of presser bar I1 and having laterally projecting arms I02, I02. The roller I8 revolves on a stud I03 mounted in the lower end of a sloping arm I04 whose upper shoulder portion I05 is pivoted about a horizontal axis parallel with the line of feed. For this purpose, conical-ended pivot-screws I08, I 08 in the bracket arms I02, I02 engage in corresponding sockets in the part I05 of arm I04, these screws I08, I08 being shown as provided with lock-nut I01, I01. For determining and adjusting the exact position of roller I8 relative to needle I8, as well as the angularrelation of its periphery to the work support I0, there is a stop-screw I08 in the part I05 of arm I04, adapted to engage against bracket I 0| and provided with a lock-nut I08. A (double) leaf-spring H0 is attached to bracket IOI at II I, and its free end has a beveled latch-hump II2 that engages against the lower edge of shoulder I05 and holds arm I04 in the position shown, with stop screw I 00 against bracket IOI. By forcibly swinging arm I04 to the left (Fig. III), its shoulder I05 can be snapped past the latch end of spring H0 and freed, so that roller I8 can be swung up out of the way for insertion or removal of work beneath the presser-foot. As shown in Fig. III, the tread" of the beveled roller I8 makes a very acute angle with the plane of work support I0.

While the above described rotary feed is shown in combination with a roller presser foot and a needle feed it will be understood that the needle feed may be dispensed with on certain types of work, and that under certain conditions it may be desirable (either with or without a needle feed) to employ a presser foot of some character other than a roller presser foot.

Fig. rm shows a. lock-stitch sewing machine with an ordinary type of rockably pivoted presser foot I8a substituted for the roller presser foot I8 of Fig. I, and with a lower four-motion feed a in lieu of the rotary feed of Fig. I, but in other respects substantially like the machine of Figs. 1-H, and including a. like needle-feed action. Accordingly, various parts and features shown in.

3 Has. XII-XV are marked with the same refer- 'ence numerals as the like parts and features in Figs. I-XI, as a means of dispensing with repetitive description, while other corresponding parts and features are distinguished by addition" of a letter to the reference numeral, where such distinction a are necessary.

As be: shown in Fig. XIII, the feed 204 comprises a feed-dog I20 coacting with the presserfoot Ila through a suitable opening in the work support I0. The feed-dog I20 is mounted for up and down adjustment (as by'a bolt and slot connection I2I) on a four-motion feed-bar.I22. The feed member comprising feed-dog I 20 and feedbar I22 receives up and down motion from horizontal shaft 50 through its extension 50a (corresponding in some respects to'the shaft "in Fig. I), by means of an eccentric I23 fast on shaft 50a and acting through an eccentric strap and rod I24 pivoted at I25 to a forward extending,

curved arm I28 of feed-bar I22. Shafts 50 and 50a are joumaled in bearings 5|,5I, and 5Ia, Fig. XIV, beneath the work support I0. Bracket 5Ia and rotary hook stitch mechanism 2Ia are shown as like corresponding parts in the aforementioned Christensen and Quist application, and as similarly engaged with and adjustable along a tongued depending flange I21 on the work-support I0, to which flange they are secured by bolt and slot connections I28, I28. The stitch mechanism 2Ia, like that in Fig. IV, is shown as revolving in a horizontal plane beneath the work support I0 about a vertical axis, and as similarly driven from shaft 50a through bevel gears I29, I29, best shown in Fig. XIV. Y

The feed member comprising dog I20 and feed-bar I22 may receive horizontal, to and fro, work-feeding motion from an eccentric 'I'Ia on shaft 50, Figs. XIV and XV. As shown in Fig.

XIII, a forward-extending arm I32 of feed-bar I22 is pivotally connected at I33 to the upper end of a bifurcated arm I34 fast to one end of a horizontal shaft 96a that is joumaled in bearing lugs 91a depending from the work-support I0. As here shown, shaft 96a is under the front edge of work support I0, instead of under its rear edge as in Fig. XI. Shaft 96a may be rocked or oscillated from eccentric 'I'Ia through actuating connections including an eccentric strap and rod 98a pivoted at I36 to the joint of a toggle device I31,

I 38. The lazy-bar link I31 of this toggle device a is pivoted at I39 to a bracket I40 depending from the work-support I0, while the more active toggle link I38 is pivotally connected to a rocker arm 99a fast to shaft 96a. The amplitude of movement thus imparted to shaft 96a and feeddog I20 may be adjusted and varied by any suitable means, as by a slot and screw-clamp connection between link I38 and its pivot I00a on rocker 99a. By this adjustment and the adjustment of eccentric 56 as already described in connection with Figs. I-IX, the feeding action of dog I20 can be made to correspond accurately with that due to the vibratory or oscillatory movement of needle I6, or may be made greater or less in any desired proportion. As shown in Fig. m, set collars I4I, I4I secured on shaft 96a control its longitudinal position in its bearings 91a.

It will, of course, be understood that any suitable four-motion or other lower feed mechanism (different from those hereinbefore described) may be employed, and may derive its motion(s) in any preferred way from any suitable part(s) of the sewing machine.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a reciprocating needie bar and a rockable guide therefor, of a driveshaft; means actuated by said drive-shaft for reciprocating said needle bar; another shaft with means actuated thereby for oscillating said guide; an eccentric on said drive shaft mounted for radial adjustment relative thereto; an eccentric-crank on said drive shaft, for holding said eccentric in fixed radial position relative thereto, frictionally secured to, the drive shaft to turn therewith but capable of slipping thereabout; means engageable .with said eccentric-crank to cause it to slip when the shaft is turned and thus adjust said eccentric radially relative to the shaftmerely by preventing the eccentric-crank from turning with the-shaft, without need to loosen said eccentric crank thereon; and means operated by said eccentric for actuating the aforesaid other shaft to oscillate said guide.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a work support and a presser-foot at one side thereof, of a rotary feed member at the other side of said work support coacting therethrough with said presser foot, a needle and a reciprocating needle bar at the same side of said work support as said presser foot, a rockable guide for said needle-bar, a drive shaft with means actuated thereby for reciprocating said needle-bar, a shaft driven by said drive shaft and means actuated thereby for imparting step-by-step rotary work-feeding movements to said rotary feed member and for adjusting the extent of such movements. a shaft with means actuated thereby for oscillating said guide, and means for actuating said last-mentioned shaft from said drive-' shaft so as to feed the work by the engagement of the needle in the work as well as bythe action of said feed member.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination with a work support and a presser-foot at one side thereof, of a feed member at the other side of said work support coacting therethrough with said presser foot, a needle and a reciprocating needle bar at the same side of said work support as said presser foot, 8. rockable guide for said needle-bar, a drive shaft with means actuated thereby for reciprocating said needle bar, a shaft driven by said drive shaft and means actuated thereby for imparting up and down movements and to and fro work-feeding movements to said feed member, with means for adjusting the extent of such movements, a shaft above said drive shaft with means actuated thereby for oscillating said guide, and means for actuating said lastmentioned shaft from said drive-shaft so as to feed the work by the engagement of the needle in the work as well as by the action of saidv feed member.

'4. In a sewing machine, the combination with a frame carrying a work support and including an arm with a needle-head thereon over said work support, of a drive shaft in said arm, a rockable needle-bar guide pivoted on said head, a reciprocating needle bar in said guide, means actuated by said drive shaft for reciprocating said needle bar, a shaft in said arm above said drive shaft with means actuated thereby for oscillating said guide, a shaft beneath said work support, a fed member and a stitch mechanism beneath said work support actuated from said last-mentioned shaft, and means for actuating both of the other shafts aforementioned from saiddrive shaft.

5. In a needle-feed sewing machine, the combination with a frame carrying a work support and including an arm overhanging said work support; of a reciprocating needle bar, and a guide therefor fulcrumedon said arm for rocking movement in the direction of the line of feed of the work; a lower shaft mounted in bearings on said am and operatively connected to said needle bar at a point above said guide fulcrum, to reciprocate the needle bar up and down in the guide; and an upper shaft above said lower shaft mounted in hearings on said arm and operatively connected to the guide, to rock the same, at a point above the connection of said first-mentioned shaft to the needle bar, and further from said guide fulcrum than said guide fulcrum is from the work.

I 6. In a sewing machine, the combination with a frame carrying a work support and including an arm overhanging said work support, aguide rockably mounted on said arm, and a bar movable up and down in said guide and active in feeding the work, of a drive shaft above the axis of rocking of said guide mounted in bearings on said arm and having an eccentric crank thereon at its driven end directly adjacent a corresponding bearing on the arm, and operatively connected to said bar at its distal end, to impart up and down movement thereto, and an oscillatory shaft above said drive shaft mounted in bearings on said arm and actuated by said eccentric, and having actuating connection from its distal end to said guide for rocking said guide and said bar.

GEORGE SAUER. 

